Across the Hall
by ashactually
Summary: He was the most arrogant, small-minded, presumptuous, attractive, funny, pig-of-a-man she'd ever met. And he only lived a few feet away. (AU Nalu) Rated M for language and mature themes
1. A Long Night

I'm cold, wet, and beyond pissed. Being woken up by blaring alarms at three o'clock in the morning is not something I recommend. I also don't recommend wearing your favorite fuzzy socks outside when there's so much rain you can hardly see. Basically, I advise everyone to not be in the situation I am currently in.

The two fire trucks lined outside my apartment building and the people scurrying around like frightened mice aren't helping with my mood much either. Obviously, the building is not on fire, so calm your tits.

Why the smoke alarms went off this early in the morning is something that is completely beyond me, but it can't be anything too serious if all the firemen are doing is standing and waiting for the one guy who walked inside about fifteen minutes ago.

I'm about to barge in there myself, giving zero fucks about anyone who may try to stop me, because I am exhausted and miss the sensation of being dry. Don't get me wrong; looking like I spend my days pretending I'm a mermaid and searching the ocean blue for Nemo isn't necessarily a terrible look, but the feeling of wet clothing sticking to my skin has become rather unpleasant.

I'm not always this bratty and impatient, but I am completely 100% done with this day, and if any more shit happens to me, I might just explode.

Right when I'm about to go through with my plan of storming the building, the superintendent, Makarov, walks out the front doors. He's a short man, probably in his late seventies with a balding head and a very pronounced mustache. His face can only be described as jolly, and he has a strange welcoming presence about him. I've only known him for about three days, having just moved into the building, but from those three days, I can tell that people generally like him and that he generally likes most people. As he makes his way out into the street, the large group of people starts to cluster around him in a circle, making it appear as if they are gathering around to watch the cool kid at the playground beat someone up.

Makarov clears his throat, and says in a half bored half annoyed voice, "The building is clear to go in. Apparently, it was only cigarette smoke that caused the alarms to go off. I must advise you that smoking in these apartments is off limits, and to please use the balconies or just simply walk outside if the urge is really that strong. Now that all of your time has been wasted by some idiot's decision, have a good night." With his last sentence, he marches back into the building, completely ignoring the chorus of frustrated sighs and shouts of 'are you kidding me?!' echoing across the street.

I can't argue with them really because seriously, _are you fucking kidding me_ right now?!

I had to wake up to the sound of obnoxious alarms, wait outside in the pouring rain for about half an hour, and become completely soaked to the bone just because some dickhead couldn't be bothered to walk outside to light one up.

Gosh, people suck sometimes.

All at once, every single resident starts making their way back inside. I would rather not be trampled, so instead of sprinting up the entrance steps like everyone else, I hang back and let the crowd mellow out a little. While I'm waiting, I notice the rain has slowed down vastly and is only at a light drizzle now.

I'm literally about to go inside, and _now_ is when the rain decides to calm down?

I'm already done with this week, and it's only Monday.

When I think it's safe to walk in without being sandwiched between strangers, I finally start dragging my feet towards the front steps.

Now when I say today was the equivalent of being poked repeatedly in the eye while loosely strapped to the roof of a car as it drives over speed bumps, I'm making the understatement of the century.

So obviously, the main thing I want to do is just go to sleep. Preferably forever.

But of course, the universe hates me and decided that my day of hell needed to be dragged out a little longer. So it's no surprise when I slip on the second step and fall on my ass right into a puddle.

I give up. I might as well sit in the middle of the street and wait for a truck to run over me because nothing seems to be on my side today.

"Um excuse me, do you need some help?" A deep voice says behind me. Startled, I turn my head too quickly, sending a quick burning pain up my neck.

 _Seriously_ , can I just get a break?

When the heat in my neck dulls, I finally focus on the person attached to that voice.

 _Damn._ Well, my day isn't as bad now. Thank you, universe for this break. This tall, dark, and handsome break.

"Hello?" Tall dark and handsome says in and amused tone, waving a hand in front of my face. I would say something back, but I'd rather just stare at him for a little longer. He's tall, I can tell even though I'm still stuck on my ass, and from the dim light, I can tell he isn't at all bad looking.

His hair is a strange pinkish color, and his skin is nicely tanned. His eyes seem to be pure black, but it's also dark so that could just be the light. He's also quite built. Not like to the point where his muscles are trying to escape the confines of his shirt, but enough to the point where you can tell he spends time on his physique.

In the midst of me openly checking him out, I forget that he's still waiting for me to respond.

"Uhm, yeah, help would be great," I mumble, still gawking at this beautiful human being. He reaches his hand out to me, intending for me to take it, and I grab it immediately. This small act makes his face break out into a wide grin, showing off all of his teeth. I hesitate a second, not sure if I will be able to stand up without falling because _holy fuck balls_ even his teeth are perfect.

I shake that thought out of my head and let him hoist me out of the puddle. I barely notice just how soaked my ass is because my attention is entirely focused on the feeling of his hand. It engulfs mine easily, being so much bigger, and I can easily feel the callouses on his fingertips. However, there is a certain softness to his touch as well, balancing out the roughness.

I think I held on to his hand a little too long because I hear him clear his throat. In response, I promptly let go, trying to act like I wasn't just molesting his hand.

"So, please tell me you didn't see me slip walking up the stairs and only saw the aftermath which was the embarrassment of me sitting in a puddle." Great job Lucy. If he didn't see you fall, now he's just going to think you suck at walking up stairs.

He chuckles lightly. "Well, at least it was a graceful fall. And it is better than you just sitting in a puddle for no reason," He responds, the smile on his face never faltering.

Well, I can't argue with that.

When I fail to respond, he continues with, "And anyway, shouldn't you be thanking me? I mean, I did technically just save you from drowning." He says it sarcastically, motioning towards the puddle for emphasis.

I roll my eyes, "Why thank you, good sir, how can I ever repay you for this humble deed?" I respond with the same level of sarcasm, curtsying for dramatic effect.

He steps in closer to me, wasting no time. The closer he gets, the more I realize that he actually isn't super tall. I am not necessarily short, probably around 5'6 or 5'7, but I can tell he's only a few inches taller than me.

"Well, you could start by giving me your number." The smirk on his face is practically oozing confidence. "Or, at the very least, your name." He's flirting with me, and he's letting me know it too.

Hm. I won't deny that he's attractive. Annoyingly attractive actually. But I don't know how I feel about him yet. He seems too confident that I'll just give him what he wants.

I could do that. Or, I could have some fun and drag this confrontation out a little.

I smile shyly at him, move my lips so their right next to his ear, and whisper, "Or, I could start by getting out of this rain." And with that, I sprint up the stairs (carefully this time) leaving tall dark and handsome staring wide-eyed in my wake.

Once inside I wring out my clothes, which is only a long gray sweater that reaches to my mid-thigh and my socks, that I imagine will never know the feeling of dryness again. I also embrace my inner dog and shake out my soaked blonde hair, but all that does is make my head resemble a bird's nest.

I'm trying to flatten my mess of a hair when I hear the click of the doors opening. I turn just in time to see tall dark and handsome staring at me curiously.

" _That_ was unexpected." He shakes his head in disbelief; the curious look still gleaming in his dark eyes.

I smile sweetly at him, "Well, I am full of surprises." I give a little wink at the end for good measure. With that, I turn in the direction of the elevator, testing to see if he would stop me. It would be much easier to just turn around and start sucking face with the hot guy that helped me out of a puddle, but I kind of want to see how persistent he really is.

I only get about three steps before a feel a rough hand wrap around my wrist.

"Wait a second, how about giving me that name first?" His confident aura is back, and he is still looking at me like getting my name and number is simply child's play to him.

I pivot slowly toward him.

"And why do you need my name that badly?" I ask with a slight tilt of my head.

"So I know what to call you when I ask you out on a date." He states matter of fact, not hesitating a single second.

Okay, I have to admit, that was pretty smooth. Too smooth. Rehearsed smooth.

"And why do you need my number?" I question, addressing the first thing he asked me out in the rain.

"So I know how to get a hold of you when we aren't on our date." Again, he responds without hesitation, like he practices these lines in front of the mirror.

"What if I don't want to give you my name, or my number?" I say with a flirtatious smirk of my own.

"And why wouldn't you want to do that?" The confidence is still in his voice, but I can detect a hint of bewilderment as well.

"Oh you know, stranger danger and all that bullshit." I smile innocently up at him.

He chuckles, "Well if it's bullshit, I don't see wh-"

"Listen up brat!" Makarov bellows out, stomping into the lobby. Tall dark and handsome turns abruptly, facing the superintendent completely. "Next time you feel the need to huff and puff, please just take it outside. I swear the next time it happens, you're outta here."

Wait, what?

"Oh come on gramps, you love me too much to kick me out." Tall dark and handsome responds like that annoying kid in high school who got away with everything.

Again, _what?_

"This time I mean it. This is your last warning!" Makarov says shaking his head, although I can see a small smile emerging on his lips.

"Uh-huh sure gramps. Have a good night." He chuckles again, a carefree sound.

Makarov rolls his eyes and trudges away, grumbling under his breath the entire time.

The flirt swivels back to me, the smirk plastered on his face again. "So, where were w-"

" _You_ were the one who set off the smoke alarms?!" It comes out harsher than I mean it too, but I am a tad peeved off right now.

In response, he smiles sheepishly and shrugs his shoulders, indicating that I am right about my accusation.

Ugh. The universe truly is testing me today. First, it gives me a shitty day, then a shitty night, but oh wait! Here's a hot guy to make up for that. Haha, psych! He's the one that caused the shitty night. And now my perfect image of him is shattered, which is extra shitty.

I sigh, rather dramatically I might add, and turn back around to go up to my room. Once again, I only make it a few steps before feeling a hand wrapped around my wrist.

"Hey, what's the rush now? Things were just getting interesting." He says the grip on my wrist sending a spark up my arm. In response, I just roll my eyes, my objective returning to going to bed because bed sounds so nice right now. I yank my hand away from his, and head towards the stairs, not bothering to wait for the elevator.

"Wait, wait a second. Seriously, you were completely into it a second ago, so what happened?" He continues, the sound of footsteps telling me that he decided to follow my trail. Great.

"Look, it's not really your fault, I've just had a bad day and all I want to do is slip into some cozy pajamas and go to la la land. Can you just let me do that?" I don't even bother with turning my head around, hoping he'll get the hint and just go back to his apartment. Instead of my wishes being granted, the footsteps behind me never cease, but the talking does. He doesn't make a peep the entire twelve-story hike up the stairs, and I'm starting to wonder if he's just following me or lives near me.

That'd be a real treat, having to see the guy that changed my mood in four seconds flat twice in one night every single day.

I finally reach my floor and turn towards my door, again not bothering to look behind me to see the look on my pursuers face.

Once I'm a key turn away from ending the day, that grip on my wrist returns, and I don't think I've ever sighed harder in my entire life.

"Okay, okay, just hear me out. I'm sorry for whatever it was I did, I'm still not completely sure what made you do a complete 360 on me, but whatever it was it wasn't intentional. I was just trying to have some fun 'cause I think you're absolutely gorgeous and from the little we've talked I think we'd get along. I can't really bear the thought of leaving things like this, especially since I want to talk to you again. So, uh, please can we just start over real quick?" He was rambling, and he sounded like a nervous schoolboy confessing to his crush. It was a sharp left turn from the guy down in the lobby who was all arrogance and suave.

And in all honesty, it made him about 100x more attractive.

Since his little speech made me giddy in a way that I'm a tad embarrassed to admit, I turn around, only to be greeted with the most hopeful eyes I've ever seen. I keep my face pretty neutral because if I didn't I'd probably end up blushing so hard scientists wouldn't be able to tell the difference between me and a tomato, and I reach my hand out for a handshake.

"Lucy. Lucy Heartfilia."

His whole face breaks into a grin as he says, "Nice to meet you, Lucy. Call me Natsu." He reaches for my hand, and instead of shaking it, he brings it to his mouth and lightly presses a kiss to my skin.

Great, now I'm definitely blushing.

"So, since we've got the names down, how about that number?" His little smirk is back, and the cute little innocent boy that was just in front of me dissipates in an instant. His arrogant aura is back, and I'm a little shell-shocked at how easy it was for him to just change like that. Almost as if he flipped a switch. He's still smirking down at me, and I've read enough books and seen enough movies to know a small smirk on a handsome boy equals trouble.

"Why we only just met, how can I trust giving you my number?" I smirk back at him, challenging him at his own game. He stares at me uncertainly, and I know I've stumped him. Or not, as his face starts morphing from a smirk into the smile of an evil genius.

He steps closer to me and leans down to my ear as I did earlier to him, and whispers, "If you feel that uncomfortable, we could head over to my place and," He leans back just enough to look me in the eyes, " _get_ to know each other a little better." He gives a cheeky wink at the end, and for some reason, I find it much more difficult to breathe.

You know that little voice in your head that usually tells you not do stupid stuff that you'll regret in the future? Well my little voice seems to have taken a vacation, because all that's going through my head is, 'Yeah, today couldn't get any worse so I might as well follow this stranger back to his place, and maybe it's nothing like he's insinuating, maybe he just wants to talk over some late night cappuccinos, I mean of course he only means coffee because late night coffees are good and anything other than that would just be absurd and this is all good, yeah, good good good.'

This is not at all true because no one just wanting to chat over some dessert coffee looks at you the way this man is looking at me. But sometimes lying to myself makes me feel less like an idiot, so why not?

I'm about to cave in; his gaze alone sending shivers down my spine, when the door right across from us slams open. I jump a little, completely brought out of my hazy fantasy of the ways that this guy wanted to _get to know_ me.

In the doorway stands a slender woman with curly raven hair that goes down to her waist. She's more on the petite side, but her entire presence screams 'pay attention to me'. Her clear blue eyes shift over me, in a sort of bored manner, and land on Natsu. Once their eyes met, her face breaks into a seductive grin. She sashays over to him, sliding her hand across his shoulders and back, having it stop around his waist.

"Baby," She drawls out, her voice much raspier than I expected, "I was getting worried about you. After our little incident with the smoke, I thought maybe the old man finally kicked you out." Her mouth forms a pout, and the realization of what's happening makes me want to slam my head in the door.

He doesn't skip a beat, not even seeming fazed by the situation, "I'll be there in a sec, wait up a little longer, and maybe you'll get to meet my new friend here." His eyes slide over to me and I almost choke on my own spit.

The girl looks me up and down, and says with what sounds like approval, "She's cute."

I'm completely stunned into silence, having lost all ability to function in the unfathomably surreal situation that is unfolding around me.

After a quick wink towards Natsu, she walks away, swaying her hips with each step whilst having him focused in on her perfect ass.

Once the door is closed, Natsu faces me again and opens his mouth to speak, "So how ab-"

His speech is cut off by the impact of my palm against his cheek.

* * *

So this is quite different from the other story I'm writing. (which you should also check out ;;))

But yeah, this is kind of a rom-com type story I guess and it's just supposed to be cute and nothing too heavy.

Disclaimer: I do not own Fairy Tail or any of the character mentioned in this story, I only own the story itself.

I hope you enjoy and please leave a review as long as you aren't a dick about it.

Follow if you want to continue reading and thanks for clicking on this story

XoxoAsh


	2. New Neighbor

Ow.

Ow.

Ow.

This guy's face must be made of metal because _holy mother of ow_ did that hurt. It was worth it though, because Pinky is now cupping his cheek with a genuine look of hurt laced in his dark eyes. There's a weird feeling of 'well now what' in the air between us, so I begin chanting a plan inside my head.

I'm going to keep my face straight as possible. I'm going to ignore the searing pain coursing through my hand. I'm going to pretend that I go around slapping people all the time and this is nothing new for me. I'm going to turn around like a badass and leave Pinky gawking at my door as I slam it in his face.

My plan is almost executed perfectly, until I see Pinky's shoulders start to shake ever so slightly. I look at his covered face, and detect the smallest of smiles gracing his lips. This asshole is actually laughing. It started as a small chuckle, but quickly transitioned into a full on belly laugh to the point where he is now bent over. He might as well be slapping his knee just to add a little more drama.

I'm still just staring at him, completely bewildered, when he stands straight again still laughing under his breath. He lifts his hand to his face and pretends to wipe a tear away, all the while letting out a long sigh as if to compose himself.

"Man, I wish someone would have warned me that'd I'd have such a kinky new neighbor," He shakes his head at me, the laughter still apparent in his eyes. "I mean, the least you could have done is given me a safe word," That smirk is back. That damned smirk the shows just how in control of the situation he feels he's in.

Also, I must have slapped this man way harder than I thought, because I know I did not just hear him mistake my slap as a way of being kinky.

Instead of responding, I just continue to fume silently as I stare at him. Maybe this way, he'll get the message that I am really not in the mood for his little game right now. He stares back at me, and I'll be damned if I say that I didn't feel a chill run through me. My little shiver doesn't go unnoticed though, and Pinky jerks his chin up the slightest bit. He steps closer to me and whispers into the space between us, "You know, I was kidding about the whole giving me a safe word." I almost deflate with relief. Maybe my neighbor isn't insane after all.

I smile a little before he takes one step closer, "I already have one; it's _more_ ," He winks after the words leave his lips, and it's the last thing I see before running into my apartment and slamming the door.

I lean against the back of the door and glance toward the time displayed on the microwave. _4:52._ I suddenly feel just how exhausted I am and grudgingly head towards my bedroom.

I don't even bother changing out of my damp clothing as I slip into bed and try to dream of anything other than a certain pink haired idiot.

\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/

That's it. I'm moving out. First blaring alarms wake me up and now it sounds as if someone's trying to bust my door from its hinges. I turn over in my bed and cover my ears with the pillow hoping whoever is outside will just _go away_. The banging is as booming as before and I start to wonder why people always cover their head with their pillow in movies, because it does abso-fucking-lutely nothing.

I crane my neck to my bedside table and click the home button on my phone, illuminating the screen and revealing the dreaded time of my awakening. I almost throw the phone across the room when my eyes finally focus the time. 9 AM. I only got about 4 hours of sleep before being rudely jolted awake by the hulk trying to break into my house.

With a groan, I roll out of bed and slump to the doorway, not even bothering to look in the mirror. I know I look like complete shit, so I hope that will be speak for itself to whoever's at my door that I am not in the mood. That, or my looks will just scare them away, hopefully for good.

Honestly, I'm okay with either.

Without even checking the peephole I open the door, ready to tell whoevers behind it to fuck off and have a terrible day. Instead of those words coming out of my mouth though, only a small gasp escapes my lips. Standing in front of me is a very large man cloaked in black, with spikey hair falling down the length of his back and piercings decorating his skin like ornaments on a Christmas tree; A very bulky, serious looking Christmas tree.

He doesn't say anything to me, just continues to stare with a blank expression on his face, as if he could care less to be here. In all honesty, he looks angry that he's here, which slightly irks me due to the fact that I didn't invite him and his presence is highly unwanted.

Also that reminds me, why is he here?

Before the question can leave my mouth, a high-pitched voice echoes through the hall, "Hello! I'm assuming you're the new neighbor?"

Either this man has been sucking down helium and can talk with his mouth closed or his ass has a voice of it's own, because there is no other way that that sentence came from him. I'm about to ask exactly how much estrogen it took to get that voice when a mess of blue waves pops out from behind the angry Christmas tree. The face attached to the blue waves is sweet and full of purity, a major contrast to the pierced mass of darkness that first greeted me at the door. The girl fully reveals herself from behind the guy holding a plate of some type of food in her small hands. When I can finally see her entire body, the contrast between the two strangers at my door is suddenly very apparent.

On one hand you have the petite ray of sunshine in the human embodiment of this blue haired girl, and on the other hand you have this huge hunk of darkness that looks like the shadow themselves move on his command.

There's a weird silence between the three of us before I remember that the girl actually asked me a question, "Oh, uh yes. I just moved in a few days ago," I quietly mumble as a response. Somehow, the girls face brightens even more as she shoves the guy out of the way and thrusts the plate of food into my hands.

"I'm Levy! It's so wonderful to meet you. We live a few doors down and when we heard we were getting a new neighbor I actually squealed. I haven't had anyone new move in the building in like forever and someone told me it was a girl which made it even better since there's so many damn males especially on this floor and I just can't wait for us to bond and become the bestest of friends and we can-"

"You're gonna scare the poor girl if you keep ramblin' on like that," the guy cut her off, his tone laced with humor as he side glanced at Levy.

Levy's face turned a shade of red that I didn't even know existed. She glared at the male and shoved him, the action not having the desired effect due to the girl's petite size. He chuckled at her efforts and a look of affection shone in his eyes, "No need for that shrimp, I'm just messin' with ya," He smirked at her, playfully nudging her with his shoulder. Levy kept a frown on her face, but I could tell that she was trying hard to refrain from smiling.

I clear my throat, the tension in the hall growing by the minute, and the two newcomers darted their attention back towards me.

Levy shook her head, as if to clear her thoughts, and said with as much enthusiasm as before, "Uhm, as I was saying, I'm Levy. I live right down the hall with this dickhead. We," The dickhead rolled his eyes at the use of 'we', "wanted to come and welcome you to the building since it's very rare that we get new people here. We also wanted to give you the insight on everyone, just so you have a little background knowledge and aren't completely blind to what everyone's like," Levy smiled, and I knew instantly that we would be good friends. She was a little strange, but the good kind of strange, to where it's not really weird but more endearing.

I knew I should probably be a good host and invite them in, so I plaster the best smile I can manage on my face and say, "It is lovely to meet you both. Please come in. Oh and I'm Lucy by the way. I probably should have mentioned that earlier," I try not to ramble too much, but I can't say that I'm not nervous. I mean I wasn't really expecting guests today and I also look like complete shit.

Levy doesn't hesitate though and practically glides into the room, giving me the widest smile as she passes through the doorframe. The male, whose name I still don't know, trudges in behind her, barely giving me more than a glance. I shut the door behind them and place the plate of what looked like brownies on my counter. I turn around to tell them to make themselves comfortable, when I see that they've both already found a place seated on my couch. The man has his arm wrapped around Levy's shoulders, almost instinctively, so I assume that they're dating. I don't ask as much though, predicting that sometime in this visit the matter will come up, so I just stroll over and sit on the chair next to the couch.

And before another thought enters my head, Levy turns around to look at me, her eyes widening slightly before she says, "I just realized I never introduced this brute. I honestly shouldn't have to since he is an adult man, but he just loves his dramatics," at that the male scoffs slightly, but Levy pushes through, "This is my boyfriend Gajeel. He is a jackass so don't mind him. He may seem like he doesn't like you at first but that is just because he has a bunch of insecurities with himself and it has nothing-,"

"And this is Levy aka Shrimp. She's a total bookworm and nerd, which make her a little strange in social situations. Ya might say that's being stereotypical but it's the whole truth. She never stops talkin', so I suggest gettin' some noise canceling headphones for when she visits, as well as make sure to-,"

"I should also mention that Gajeel has a bit of problem being nice to people. Though you could never guess seeing as he still sleeps with a-,"

Gajeel turned his head towards her, his mouth almost hitting the floor, "Okay damn woman! She doesn't need to know everything right away! You can't just rant to a stranger about me and about-,"

"Oh be quiet you big baby. I told her I'd give her the scoop on everyone in this building and you are included, so shut up while I explain or go somewhere else," Levy interrupted sternly, her eyes unyielding and frank as the couple engaged in a mini staring contest.

After a few seconds, Gajeel, with a groan and a roll of his eyes, stood up and moved to the kitchen. He sat on one of the breakfast bar stools and crossed his arms, defeat surrounding him like a bad odor. I turned my attention back to Levy to find her smiling in satisfaction.

Before I could start up the conversation again, Levy clasped her hands together, "So, is there anything or anyone in specific you want to know about?"

* * *

Sorry it took so long, I was busy and I will try to not let that long of a break happen again.

Anyway, I think my next few chapters will be a little shorter, just so I can write them quickly and update more

If you liked, please review so I know

Thanks for reading!

XoxoAsh


	3. The 411

Don't say Natsu, don't say Natsu, don't even fucking think about saying Natsu.

Levy is still looking at me expectantly, waiting for me to ask the many questions I'm supposed to have about my new home. I keep trying to come up with something, anything to give her what she wants, but my mind keeps drifting to the jerk across the hall.

I look to Gajeel, hoping maybe he'll give me some inspiration about what I can ask, but when I glance his way I see that he's too busy checking out the cat themed clock I hung on the wall. I slide my attention back to Levy and do the one thing I learned from watching too many crime shows; I answer the question with another question.

"Is there anything or anyone I should know about?" I ask, hoping that at least buys me some time to actually think of a useful question that could help me in the long run.

Levy seems pleased and leans back into the couch slightly, "Well, I guess I could give you the 411 on everyone who lives on this floor. There are quite a few interesting characters that stand out that you should be aware of."

I nod thoughtfully, trying my best to keep my mind focused on everything she's saying and not think about a certain someone. "Whom exactly should I keep my out for?"

Levy squints her eyes and purses her lips, "Well there's Erza Scarlet, the scary ass red head about four doors down. She's a cop and is about as intense as it gets, but after some cake and a nice chat she mellows out. She means well, just make sure not get on her bad side," Levy says with a wink, continuing by saying, "And then there's her guy, Jellal, who technically isn't her boyfriend but they're basically together. He doesn't live here but you're bound to see him at some point. He has some fancy government job that keeps him away a lot, so his visits are pretty rare. You'll know it's him by the tattoo that covers almost half his face, but that shouldn't freak you out, he's a perfect gentleman."

Yes, as if seeing a man with a tattoo on his face would freak me out after seeing Gajeel, who has piercings in places I didn't know could be pierced.

Levy continues, "Uh, across from her is Gray and Juvia. They've been dating for like, ever, and Gajeel and I have a running bet on when she's going to pop the question."

That stops me for a second, "I'm sorry, she's going to pop the question? There's nothing wrong with that but usually isn't it the dude that does that part," I'm trying to not be offensive but it's not every day the girl proposes to the guy.

Gajeel starts laughing and walks back over, leaning against the couch, "Yeah they're a weird couple. That idiot has no idea how a relationship is supposed to work so if it were up to him, they'd probably never get married," He says with a shake of his head.

Levy's face breaks into a grin as she adds, "And poor Juvia is almost too in love with the guy to not propose soon." I smile at that. It's sweet to hear that they've been dating so long and she is still head over heels in love with him. Levy's eyes widen all of a sudden, "Oh! I should also mention that gray has a weird habit of stripping randomly. It would be best not to question it and just let it happen, you'll learn to get used to it."

I don't even know how to respond to that so I just nod, acting as if that's perfectly normal and of course I'll get used to that.

Levy taps her head, "Let's see, we also have the Strauss siblings on this hall; Elfman, Mirajane, and Lisanna. They all live together by Gajeel and me."

At that Gajeel groans, "Literally everywhere I look one of the siblings is there, telling me about something or another. I swear none of them ever shut up."

Levy slaps him behind the head and spits out, "Oh shush, they're a lovely family." She flicks him on the nose and he grunts. "We also have Jet and Droy across from us, Macao and Wakaba next to them, the Connell family next to us, and Cana next you. I'm pretty sure that covers the main people, but either way, you'll run into everyone at some point I'm sure," Levy giggles with a shrug of her shoulder.

"I think I might need a map," I chuckle, only slightly overwhelmed by all this new information. I glance up at the clock to see that they've been here for a little over an hour. I don't want to be rude and kick them out but I also haven't eaten anything this morning.

Gajeel catches my wandering eyes and pinches Levy on the shoulder. "Hey shrimp, I got shit to do, let's skedaddle on out here and let the newbie settle in." Gajeel looks up at me and winks knowingly. I mouth thanks in response and see Levy sag a little with disappointment.

"You can go Gajeel, I don't want to be rude and just sprint out of Lucy's house," Levy says, not moving an inch from where she's seated on the couch.

Gajeel stands up, and in a swift movement, heaves Levy over his shoulder.

"Gajeel you bastard! Put me down!" Levy punches the back of Gajeel's back, kicking with all her might. It has little to no effect on his huge frame, however, and he just saunters on over to the door as if Levy is nothing more than a sack of flour.

I follow a few steps behind, trying to muffle my laughter. "Levy, it's okay. I really appreciate you coming over in the first place. Don't worry about being rude, I understand completely." I move in front of them to open the door, and Gajeel doesn't even hesitate before stepping out of my apartment and disappearing down the hall.

I see Levy stop her fight against Gajeel's back, give a defeated wave in my direction.

I chuckle to myself, about to close my door, when I hear a click from the door across the hall. Instead of doing the smart thing and ignoring that noise, I stay where I am and just stare at that door.

Like a fucking idiot.

It occurs to me that Levy didn't even mention the idiot living only a few feet away from me. Weird.

The door finally opens to reveal the same woman I met last night, her clothes in disarray and her a hair a ruffled mess. She doesn't seem to mind, however, and walks with confidence and a satisfied smile plastered on her face. She only makes it a few steps out the door before a whistle comes from inside the apartment.

Hmm, wonder who that could have been.

As if he could hear my thoughts, a shirtless Natsu strolls out of his apartment. He casts his eyes to me for a split second before making his way to the other girl and promptly placing his hand on her ass. He smirks at her and leans in, capturing her lips with his, barely even acknowledging my existence.

All I do is stand there, staring with my mouth comically open, not even trying to hide my disgust with the nerve of this guy.

When their little make out sessions finally ends, the girl twirls around and sashays away, looking over her shoulder to Natsu that he responds to with a wink.

When she's finally out of sight, Natsu turns to face me fully. He leans against the wall and says with utmost arrogance, "Enjoy the show, Blondie?"

I huff and roll my eyes, exaggerating the motion a bit for dramatics, and turn back into my apartment. The last thing I see is his stupid face, contorted into a look that suggests he thinks he just won something. I scoff and slam the door as hard as I can.

And I swear I could hear his muffled laughter from the hallway.

* * *

Update woo!

So this chapter is shorter than the last ones, and I think the next few will be around this length as well. Mainly so I can actually update when I want to. So you get shorter chapters but more of them. Win win in my opinion.

Thanks for reading! Follow, favorite, review, whatever!

XoxoAsh


	4. The Proposition

" _Enjoy the show, Blondie?"_

That bastard. I can't believe he had the audacity to say that to me. As if I'd actually enjoy watching him suck face with some chick. I mean, not that it bothers me that it was with some other girl, I'm just not a huge fan of PDA.

Obviously.

I just can't get the image of him ambling over to her and placing his hand on her ass out of my head. And that kiss. That damned kiss that he probably did just because he knew I was watching is like a record in my mind that never ends. It wasn't some measly peck; it was a full on clash of tongues and teeth. It was a battle with Natsu winning, and the girl happily surrendering.

Then it ended, with both walking away having complete satisfaction plastered on their faces. And of course, that asshole turned his satisfied little smirk onto me.

" _Enjoy the show Blondie?"_

I could punch him. Or kick him, considering the last time I used my hand for violence it ended up doing more damage to me than it did to him. My hand pulses at the memory of slapping him.

I sigh, shaking my head, hoping to fling the thoughts away with the action. The move backfires though, creating a subtle throb in my temples. The fact that my mind has been racing with thoughts of a certain someone probably hasn't helped either.

It wouldn't surprise me if that motherfucker actually gave me a headache.

I groan and put my head in my hands, trying to calm myself down, hopefully making the headache cease into nothingness. Since moving in, I haven't had a chance to go to the store and pick up things like medicine, so I need to think of some other way to get rid of the annoying pounding in my skull.

I could have sworn a light bulb went off above my head considering how quickly the idea hits me.

I go to the kitchen, grab a muffin since I still hadn't eaten anything all morning, and head to the bathroom. The room is connected to my bedroom and has to be my favorite part of the entire apartment. It's spacey to say the least, and the bathtub seems to have been built for the gods themselves. I strip off my pajamas, wrap a towel around my body, and start running the water.

If relaxing in my tub doesn't work, at least I still get to enjoy the sensation of sitting in a pool of hot water.

When the tub is filled almost all the way and the temperature is perfectly scolding, I hang up my towel and ease my foot into the water. I'm almost completely submerged when a knock echoes through my apartment. I ignore the sound, thinking that I've had enough social interaction for the day, but as soon as I begin lowering myself into the water once again, another round of knocks reaches my ears. It's times like these that I wish homes had "closed" signs, so people would ignore the place completely and go on with their day.

I grumble a string of profanities under my breath, grab my towel, and begrudgingly move towards the door.

Before actually opening the door, I make sure to check the peephole, scared that it might be another Christmas tree of death. My eyes are met with a much worse scenario; A very pink, very annoying scenario.

I take a deep breath, and swing the door open, trying to make my face look as bored as possible.

Natsu stares back at me, still sporting the 'no shirt' look from earlier. All that's on him is black sweatpants and a mask of arrogance that seems permanently engraved into his face. His eyes do a once over of my body, starting at the top of my head, pausing for a second at my torso, and then moving down towards my toes. Somehow, if possible, his arrogance intensifies.

"Well Blondie, I feel as if I'm a bit overdressed." He nods towards my apparel of nothing but a towel. "If you'd like, I can come back in a sec with something more _appropriate_ on," he says, trailing his eyes over me once again.

I try to keep my expression neutral, but I can't deny the heat rushing to my face. I'm mad at him for even saying something like that, but I'm even madder at myself for not thinking about putting _something_ on other than a towel; especially after I knew it was Natsu at the door. I'm practically asking him to hit on me.

"Look, can you just say whatever it is you came to say, and be on your way. I have a very important ba-bi-bu-b-" I stumble on my words, not wanting to say bath knowing that it will just invite him to say more flirtatious shit, "birthday party to plan. Yeah. Birthday party. And, uh, I'm already behind so I don't want to waste any time." I smile innocently, hoping he takes the bait.

Natsu tilts his head in response, "Well, I'm sure you're, um, birthday party planning can wait a few minutes. I only came over to say a few things so it shouldn't take too long," He says, my lie barely fazing him.

I stand there, waiting for him to continue and say whatever the hell it is he came to say, but all he does is purse his lips and look towards the inside of my apartment. I lean forward a bit. "Well, are you going to talk or what?"

He leans in too, our faces only mere inches away from each other, "Well, are you going to invite me in or what?"

I fight the urge to roll my eyes. "I'm going to go with 'or what' if that's okay with you." His eyes squint a little at my answer, but his attitude doesn't falter.

He leans in closer, causing me to stumble a few steps back. The action pushes me closer to door, giving him the opportunity to slide into my apartment.

His movements are confident, as if he's been in this place on more than one occasion. Passing me by the door, he moves to the center of the room towards my couch, his gaze sweeping over the entirety of my home before landing back on me, "Are you going to offer me any water, or do I have to ask for everything."

This time, my eyes practically roll out of my head, "Oh, I'm so sorry. I forgot that the world revolves around you and that I am your humble servant," I respond, placing my hands on my hips. I close the door and turn back to find him still inspecting my apartment. "If you'll excuse me, I'll be back in a second. Don't you dare touch anything or I'll kick you out the window." I point in the direction of the large square window that faces out into the street. I see his throat bob in response, and walk in the direction of my room.

After entering, I make sure to slam the door, hoping to convey my annoyance with the action. I quickly change into sweatpants and a baggy t-shirt, thinking anything is better than a measly towel.

When I walk into the kitchen, I find Natsu sitting at the breakfast counter with a glass of water.

"I thought I told you not to touch anything." Seriously, can't this guy just restrain himself for three minutes? He's like an untrained dog that you have to watch every minute out of fear that he'll piss on all your nice things.

He picks up the glass and takes a few gulps; clearly not caring about anything I had to say. "Oh, right, well I was thirsty and you obviously weren't going to get it for me so I thought I'd take matters into my own hands. Nice clothes by the way. Didn't take you for a no bra kinda girl but hey," He eyes me like he did at the door, "I'm not complaining." He winks and takes another sip of water, keeping his eyes trailed on me the whole time.

I scoff, crossing my arms over my chest out of reflex. "What do you want? What was so important that you had to interrupt my day to tell me in person," I ask, starting to get more and more ticked off the longer he's here.

He puts down the glass and stands up to make his way over to me. "I told you, I wanted to talk. So please, just give me three seconds and let me do that." Natsu grabs my arm, not rough enough to hurt, but rough enough to where I don't question him as he pulls me to the couch. He takes a seat, and jerks me down to sit next to him.

He doesn't say anything just looks at me. The tension in the room thickens and I swear I could reach out and fold it into piles if I wanted to. It's getting weird, him just staring at me, not making a sound. I'm about to say something, anything to break the silence, when I hear him inhale deeply. The anticipation of what he came over to say is flooding through me, my heart beating faster the longer we sit. It just now occurred to me that I don't know him at all. This man could be a murderer or a drug dealer or a wacko. That's probably a stretch but it's all that's running through my mind as we sit on my couch, alone, staring into each other's eyes.

He takes my hand, exhales loudly and says, "I think we should fuck."

* * *

Okay so the only reason this took so long was because I couldn't figure out how in the hell to start it. I probably wrote the beginning like 12 times, so if it still sucks, sorry.

Also I was going to make what Natsu said actually sweet at the end but decided that this sounded more like the character he is at this point in the story. I also didn't want to make it too long so I decided to keep it at this.

If you'd like, please review to let me know

Thanks for reading

XoxoAsh


	5. So it Begins

I have only been rendered speechless four times in my life.

The first was when my father told me about my mother's death. That one is to be expected since I was young and that kind of news tends to leave you a little shocked.

The second was when my father forgot my birthday. Not really that big of a deal, but again, I was young and couldn't believe that my own dad had forgotten the birthday of the only person who gives a fuck about him. Well, _gave_ a fuck about him.

The third was when my long-term boyfriend broke up with me rather recently. To say that I didn't see that one coming is a bit of an understatement.

And the fourth goes to this moment right now, when five words left me gaping like a fish out of water.

 _I think we should fuck._

I am a grown woman. I'm not naïve and I understand that some people enjoy and only want casual sex from others. No judgment towards them; what other people do with their body on their own time is none of my concern. Hell, I personally wouldn't be totally against the idea.

I just like to think that there's a more _polite_ way to bring it up.

I'm still stuck in silence when Natsu clears his throat and says with the same confidence as before, "So, what do ya say?"

 _Say something witty. Something badass. Say something that renders him speechless instead._

The mantra is still running through my head as I say, rather pathetically, "Fuck? Like, sex? Like sex with me? Between us, you want… to… sex?" And with that, a new mantra starts in my head.

 _Idiot. Dumbass. Stupid._

I could have said anything. I could have even punched him in the face – which I probably should have done – but no. Instead, I made a complete fool of myself when I should have demanded he leave and have the door hit him on his way out.

Jesus, I sounded like a fucking fourth grader who just learned naughty words and can't actually remember which ones mean what.

I exhale loudly and stand up, not giving Natsu the time to respond. He looks amused, and I don't think I've ever hated an expression more. I cough awkwardly as if clearing my throat and try to compose myself. "Look, I think you should leave."

I see his face fall as he stands up. He shoots me a grim expression, nods his head, and starts towards the door.

I'm shocked once again. I can't believe that he didn't even fight it. He just accepted my rejection and did what I asked. Maybe he isn't as bad as I thought. Maybe he's actually a decent guy under all that bravado.

When he reaches the door, he stops, shakes his head, and turns around to face me. "I'm gonna let you think about it a little longer. I mean really think about it. 'Cause I think we'd have a lot of fun and you should give us a chance."

I take back everything I just thought two seconds ago.

"Oh, you think I should give 'us' a chance? Really?" I scoff. "There isn't an 'us' and there probably never will be. If we do what you're… _suggesting_ , there still won't be an 'us', it'll just me and you engaging in an activity together," I say, trying to keep my calm.

My words don't even dent his ego, "Yes, but a rather _fun_ activity, wouldn't you say?"

"I am not sleeping with you!"

"Well, why not?"

"Jesus, you're relentless!"

His eyes sort of light up at my response, or lack thereof. Honestly, I could give him a ten-page essay on why we shouldn't, but I don't see why there's a need to have to explain myself.

On the other hand, I could also probably write a ten-page essay on why we should. I mean, it'd be double-spaced, so that's not _really_ that impressive. Right?

Natsu may be an arrogant piece of shit, but at the same time, he's a fuckable arrogant piece of shit. It's not like he's asking for a relationship, so it doesn't really matter what I think when it comes to his personality. All that matters is his performance in bed.

I can't believe I'm actually rationalizing this. I can't possibly consider his offer.

"See, you don't have a reason. You're just too stubborn to admit that my idea is a good one," He says smugly, a boyish smile spread across his face.

I sigh, exasperated. "Why me. We barely even know each other."

"The less we know each other the better. If we were friends, that leads to feelings getting tangled in, and no one wants that. It'd just be a good ol' bump and grind between the sheets. No strings, no feelings, no trouble. Just fun." He starts walking towards me, hands in his pockets. Once he reaches me he leans in, "Come on, give it a chance." He blows in my ear, sending a shiver down my spine.

I hate that he gages this reaction out of me. I that his presence envelops me like a sweater that fits just right. I hate that he thinks he can get what he wants from me.

I hate that I almost want to give him exactly what he's asking for.

I push him away. "This is ridiculous! I don't even know you! All I know is that you probably sleep with a different woman each night and carry god knows what kind of diseases. You're rude and arrogant and I want nothing to do with you. So, please, get the fuck out of my house!" I close my eyes and point towards the door. I'd like to think that I'm doing this because I am a rational girl, but really, I think it's just because if he stays any longer he'll probably end up convincing me to agree.

I like being stubborn, and that's not going to change just because some asshole wants to get in my pants.

Natsu jerks away from me, obviously offended by my statements. "I'd just like you to know that I don't sleep with a different girl _every_ night. Jeeze, I have a life. It's more like every _two_ nights. So, yeah!" He makes a series of scoffing noises, almost like he's choking on air. I didn't expect him to get so riled up, so I'm a little at a loss for words.

My lack of a response doesn't stop him though. "A-A-And _diseases_?! Please! I don't tap it without wrapping it, sweetheart. I'm not a complete fucking moron. Sure, my first thought when I see a girl is how loudly I can make her scream my name, but that doesn't make me the devil. " He's rambling and I can tell I hit a nerve. I doubt he gets rejected often.

The rest of his little tantrum is so jumbled together I can barely understand what he's saying.

I interrupt him in the midst of his mumbling, "Look, forget I said anything. Just leave."

"Fine. But only if you give me a reason why we shouldn't do this."

"Because I don't want to."

"It didn't seem that way the other night."

"Funny how things change."

"I think you're just stubborn."

"Ah see that's where you went wrong, you tried thinking. I know that's probably straining for you so maybe try doing that a little less."

Natsu leans his head back and groans loudly. He rubs both hands over his face and then looks back at me, a sort of clarity in his expression. One side of his mouth raises, and that damn smirk is back as he walks, once again, towards me. He bends down slightly so we are met face to face.

He chuckles a little before whispering in a barely audible voice, "Good news is that I don't need to think to do what I'm offering sweetheart. Now, this is the last time I'm asking, do you wanna fuck. I promise I'll make it worthwhile."

I smile sweetly, "Who knew that someone could admire their dick so much that they become one. So again, no. Now, this is the last time _I'm_ telling you to get the hell out of my house." I step back and walk towards the door, opening it and gesturing for him to move.

Instead of moving he just looks at me and cocks his head to the side, "Well played sweetheart." With that, he begins making his way across the room and through the door, eventually finding himself standing outside his own apartment door. Before I close my own door, he turns to me, wearing his usual smirk.

"Well, sorry this-" He gestures between the two of us, "-didn't work out. But I hope that we can maybe still be _friends_." He said 'friends' as if it was a challenge; a game he was excited to play. "See ya 'round, sweetheart."

He closes the door, not giving me a chance to respond. I may have won whatever it was that happened today, but I have a feeling this wasn't the end. I'm sure there's going to be more interactions like the one we just had.

We do live rather close to each other after all.

* * *

Was supposed to post this on xmas but didn't, whoops.

Anyway, next update won't be until after the new year, so hope everyone has a good last few days of 2017 :)

As always, please follow/favorite/review if you enjoyed.

Thanks for reading and Happy New Year!

XoxoAsh


	6. Unwanted Guests

It's only been a little more than a week, and I'm considering moving. Don't get me wrong; I think the place is great. Actually, the place is the only reason I'm not sprinting out the door. It has a great view, the location is perfect, and it's spacey enough without feeling too big.

The main problem is the neighbors.

I wouldn't say they're weird, but I wouldn't exactly say they're normal. First, there's Levy, who is an absolute doll despite her sometimes over-eagerness and slightly terrifying boyfriend. Then there's said terrifying boyfriend who, for some reason, is capable of making no noise when walking and has scared the shit out of me multiple times due to me not realizing he was there. There's also Makarov, who is in charge of the building and has been nothing but nice to me each time we've talked.

But then there's Natsu.

He isn't really bad, but he is endlessly annoying.

It doesn't help that we have to see each other almost every day, because as it turns out, we have pretty similar schedules of when we enter and exit our apartments. It's never anything too serious, but each time is always eventful.

One time he walked out wearing only a towel, and – me being a decent human and knowing the penalty for indecency – I asked why he was going out only wearing a towel. In response, he smiled and said he couldn't believe he forgot to put on clothes. I laughed awkwardly and said he should fix the situation. He agreed by dropping the towel.

In the middle of the hallway.

I yelped and covered my eyes, but he only laughed again and said, "Thanks for watching out for me sweetheart."

There have been other things such as the groceries incident, the condom incident, and the underwear incident, with each leaving me a little more ticked off than the one previous.

And to top it all off, it's only been a little over a week.

Today should be the deciding factor though, because I finally get to meet my neighbor, Cana. I heard her arrive last night, and since it was late, decided I'd just introduce myself in the morning. If I have to deal with two wackos all the time, then I'm pretty sure it is better for my mental state to find somewhere else to live. But, if Cana is normal, then everything should be fine.

I hope.

It's about 10, which I think is a decent time to go over to someone's house, so I pep myself up for the awkward 'nice to meet you' chat and knock on her door.

There's no answer, so I wait for about 5 minutes until knocking again. Before I knock a third time, I finally hear a lock click. Instead of the door in front of me opening, I hear the door slightly behind me creak open. I turn to find a certain pink haired idiot leaning against the doorframe of his apartment, smiling at me.

"She's not gonna answer," Natsu practically sings out.

"And why is that?" I shoot back, turning around to face Cana's door again. I sigh, getting a little fed up that my plan isn't going the way I wanted, and promise to knock one more time before trying again later.

"She's probably asleep." Natsu moves from his doorframe and slides next to me in front of Cana's still closed door. "Or drunk."

My eyes widen, "It's 10 in the morning!"

"And?" Natsu gives me a bemused look and knocks on the door for me.

"I thought you said she wouldn't answer?"

"Probably not, but it'll be way more fun if she does." Natsu smiles wider and knocks once more. Loudly.

There's still no reply, so Natsu just shrugs and turns to leave. I almost follow suit before I hear a door fly open. I jump back at the same time Natsu ducks. I'm about to ask why his first instinct is to duck, but my question is answered by a bottle flying through the air, crashing into the wall where Natsu's head had been seconds before. He shot back up, looking completely unfazed.

"Huh, guess she is awake," He states nonchalantly, stepping into the now open apartment.

I follow, hesitantly, my senses on high alert in case any more bottles feel the need to introduce themselves. There's this weird moment of realization when I find myself standing rather close to Natsu. I notice that the closer I am to him, the less anxious I feel. Maybe it's the way he doesn't seem scared of the situation we're in, or maybe it's just the fact that he knows the person's apartment we're walking through. I don't really have the time to dwell on it when I finally take in everything that makes up Cana's apartment.

Empty bottles lay scattered on the floor and the smell of booze wraps around me like a blanket. There's barely any furniture or decoration, with only a couch, recliner, and coffee table in the main room. I note one picture hanging on the wall, but besides that, nothing in here gives away any aspect of what my neighbor's life may be like. Cana's lived here much longer than I have, but from the looks of her living space, it seems as if she's the one who just moved in.

Natsu and I make our way to the corner of the room with the recliner. In the recliner, a woman is splayed out cradling a bottle, humming softly in her haze. She has long brown hair and wears only a blue bikini – maybe bra – as a top. I make out a tattoo on her lower abdomen, but due to the lack of lighting, can barely tell exactly what it is. From what I can see, it looks likes some cross between a bird and an arrow. I make a mental note to ask her about it sometime.

So, this is Cana. At least I really hope so, because I don't really know how I'd explain this situation to the cops if it came to that.

I don't want to make judgments, because I still haven't actually met this person, but it doesn't come off as a good sign when she's plastered this early in the morning. I'm not a heavy drinker, so it is possible that seeing someone like this is only shocking because I can't imagine my day starting – or my night ending – like this.

After getting a good look at Cana, I glance around the apartment in search of someone else. I presume someone has to be here other than Cana because I've never heard of anyone throwing things with that kind of aim in their sleep.

Natsu picks up on my wandering gaze and chuckles softly. He taps my shoulder to get my attention, "There's no one else here if that's what you're wondering."

"Then who threw the bottle?" I point behind me to the shattered glass outside the open door. Natsu shakes his head in response and leans down to poke Cana.

Cana only mutters a slur of incoherent words and snuggles her bottle closer. Natsu scoffs a laugh and pokes her again, receiving the same reaction as before. He glances over his shoulder at me and jerks his head towards the door. I assume that's him saying we should just leave, and I'm honestly shocked that we agree for once. I nod back at him to show I understand, and we both turn to leave for the second time.

I look back at Cana before stepping out of her apartment for good. I can tell she has a grimace on her face in a look that suggests she's in pain. Curious, I look around her to see what could be causing her that much discomfort, and spot the bottle she's cradling is shoved into her stomach at an odd angle. I don't know her, but I don't think anyone should be plagued by an uncomfortable sleep, so I decide to take the bottle out of her hands. She would definitely be more comfortable and it's not a big deal since I doubt she'd even notice considering her current state.

Without telling Natsu, I turn back into the apartment making sure to keep my steps quiet so I don't wake her. Natsu, who I figure realized I was no longer following him, loudly whispers to me, "What the fuck do you think you're doing?"

I ignore him and grip the neck of the bottle, twisting it slowly to try and loosen it from the drunken girl's grasp. She has a surprisingly tight grip on it despite her being almost completely unconscious.

I almost have it free when I feel a hand on my elbow. I stop my movements altogether when I feel Natsu's breath hit the back of my neck. His presence practically invades my entire being, and it takes everything in me to choke out, "What exactly are you doing."

Without answering, his hand travels from my elbow to my hand, pulling it away from the bottle and lowering it to my side. I can detect his heart pounding through my back, a constant reminder of how close he really is to me. His hand slides back up my arm, finding it's place on my waist. I'm trying to control my breathing as much a possible, not wanting to give him the satisfaction of knowing how his touch is affecting me.

His other hand comes up and moves my hair over to one shoulder, exposing my neck completely. I sense him lean in before I even feel his lips lightly brush the back of my ear.

"She may seem totally out of it, but even a half unconscious Cana can tell when you take away her drink." I feel the vibrations of his laugh against my back. "And trust me, I don't think it'll end well for either of us if we meet the Cana whose had her drink stolen."

Despite the distant fear of what Cana would do to us if she awoke with no drink in her hand, I smile a little. I can hear how fond he is of Cana, and not in a way that suggests any sort of romance. It's the first time I've seen him around a girl where he looks at her like family instead of like a snack. His chin meets my shoulder and before I can react in any way I hear a cough from the only other person in the room.

"You know, I enjoy sexual tension as much as the next person, but could you two take it somewhere else and get the fuck out of my apartment."

* * *

Oh hey, been a while.

Gonna be honest, I didn't plan this story out so I had no idea where to go with it after the last chapter. BUT, now I think I kind of know where I want the next few chapters to go. Also if you want me to write about those "incidents" Lucy mentioned just let me know, fluff is always fun to write.

So, for once, I think you should expect the next chapter pretty soon. And by soon I mean like in the next three months. (jkjk but actually maybe idk don't hold me to anything)

Anyway, follow/favorite/review, anything to feed my ego.

Hope you enjoyed reading!

XoxoAsh


	7. The Perks of Alcohol

Natsu and I jump apart immediately. Well, it's more like I jump away from Natsu, he actually seems upset that I moved away. I look at Cana, who has a knowing smile plastered on her face and stutter out my best excuse.

"We uh, we, we were just, just, you know, hugging. Because it's, uh, it's very cold in here," I force out a laugh, "You know how penguins huddle to keep warm. Well, yup, that's uh, that's what we were doing. Nothing else. Nothing weird. Just warmth"

Cana is nodding her head, pretending like my bullshit excuse made any sense. She looks at Natsu through squinted eyes and puts a hand up like when you're going to whisper in someone's ear.

Instead of whispering, however, she says in a rather loud voice, "I told you to stop bringing your bimbos over to my place. You can buy your own alcohol, so stop mooching off me." She looks at me and smiles, acting like I didn't just hear every word she said.

Natsu covers his mouth with his hand stifling a laugh. I shoot a glare in his direction before looking back at Cana. I force a smile and say through tight lips, "I am _not_ his bimbo, I just moved in next door a week ago and came by to introduce myself. This idiot," I point to the still laughing Natsu beside me, "decided to tag along. I'm Lucy, by the way."

Cana smiles widely, a completely different aura surrounding her than the one before. She jumps up and wraps me in a hug. "Oh thank Mavis! You are way too pretty for him anyway." Natsu lets out a defensive 'hey', but Cana ignores him. "I'm Cana, and I am so fucking glad to have a female so close by. You have no idea how many pathetic crying girls I have to deal with in the morning after running into them in the hallway," She says, rolling her eyes at the memory of each of those girls, "But now we can bitch about it together. Maybe if we're annoying about it enough, Natsu may finally learn some manners." She says, giving a pointed look at Natsu. He puts his arms up defensively as if to say 'I'm innocent'.

Which, of course, is entirely untrue.

She slaps him in the arm, "It's your fault there are so many crying girls here all the damn time. I swear I almost started selling tissues outside my door when I realized I could make a real profit out of it." Cana keeps slapping Natsu, but she has a small smile on her face the entire time.

Natsu doesn't seem to be putting up much of a fight, faking a hurt look as Cana continues to hit him.

I laugh at their antics, thinking the brother-sister relationship they have is cute.

Cana keeps hitting him and finally manages to get a scratch on his arm. He yelps in surprise and looks at her with fake betrayal. "You actually cut me you damn feline lady," He says looking down at his arm, "And look, it's bleeding!"

"Good," Cana replies bending down to pick up a bottle behind the recliner. She snatches Natsu's arm with the scratch on it and takes the cap off the bottle with her teeth. Natsu's eyes widen when she pours the contents of the bottle onto his minor injury.

"What are you doing that for?" Natsu practically screams, hissing as the alcohol comes into contact with his open wound.

"Oh shut up you big baby. Alcohol helps with shit like this so calm down. Lucy can you please tell him to stop being such a pussy," Cana says, looking at me expectantly.

I shrug, "Natsu, stop being such a pussy."

"Whatever," He mumbles back, but doesn't say anything more.

I stare at the bottle in Cana's hand and ask before thinking, "How did you just have this out and ready?"

Cana raises an eyebrow at me, "I always have alcohol out and ready."

"For situations like this?"

"Yes Lucy, I have a very bad habit of scratching my self so I keep liquor around when it happens," Cana replies, the sarcasm evident in her voice.

I can't blame her, it was a dumb question. Obviously, Cana likes to drink, judging by her apartment and the state Natsu and I found her in. I don't think it's appropriate to ask if she has a serious problem, but for now, I'm just going to go with that she's a heavyweight and it take's a lot to make her feel something.

Cana finishes pouring the alcohol on Natsu's cut, which in my opinion wasn't necessary. Natsu has the same idea because as soon as she drops the bottle on the ground, he states irritably, "That was just a waste of alcohol."

Cana glares at him, "Are you telling me how to use my alcohol?"

Cana's look shut Natsu up real quickly, and his only response was a shake of his head.

Cana smirks, "Didn't think so." She turns her smile to me. "So, Lucy my dear, we have lots to learn about each other. I hope you haven't had to suffer too much with this sack of shit living so close by." Natsu grunts at that statement.

I return her smile, "Oh it hasn't been too bad. The smell could be improved, however."

Natsu's mouth widens in offense.

Cana's head tilts back with a laugh, "Oh I like you." She points to the door but keeps her eyes on me, "Natsu, please get the hell out of my house. I want to have a little chat with our new neighbor."

I don't know whether I should be excited or scared for our upcoming 'chat'.

Natsu groans but heads towards the door. Before he can fully make it out, however, Cana leans in my direction and whispers, "Watch this."

I raise an eyebrow in question, but Cana doesn't hesitate to pick up a bottle and chuck it at the back of Natsu's head.

The bottle hits the wall beside him and his response is a high-pitched scream.

He turns back to us, a look of terror on his face, and whispers to himself, "I'm fucking doomed."

Cana bends down to pick up another bottle, but before she can even grab one, Natsu spins on his heels and sprints out the apartment.

As soon as the door closes, Cana and I bend over laughing.

When we finally calm down, Cana asks if I want anything to drink, and I oblige. I haven't had a nice girl talk over wine in a while, and Cana seems like the perfect person to do it with.

We end up sitting on the floor, a bottle of red wine in between us, with the biggest glass of wine I've ever held.

I'm about ask where she came home from, but she beats me to it with her own question.

"So, Lucy, with tits like those I bet you've snagged yourself a man, am I right?"

* * *

This is short, and the next one might be too, BUT the one after that should be a niiiiiice long one ;))))

Also, if you didn't notice, I finally named the chapters. I don't think anyone cares but it happened and I'm excited about it.

I'm planning on updating every two weeks, alternating between this story and my other ongoing story (which you can check out) so basically, one week will be this update and the next week will be the other story's update and so on and so forth.

Thanks for reading, leave a review if you want, I enjoy reading them.

Hope you enjoyed!

XoxoAsh


	8. A Little Chat

Cana's question throws me off guard. First, she said I have big tits, which I know she means as a compliment, but the comment makes me cover my chest self-consciously. Second, she asked about a boyfriend, which as of right now is a very complicated question.

I still haven't said anything, but Cana doesn't seem to mind, her gaze still trained on my now covered breasts. I clear my throat to get her attention. She's looking me in the eye now, and I realize I still don't really know how to explain this.

I go with the simplest answer, "No, actually, I haven't snagged myself a boyfriend."

Cana's mouth opens the slightest bit, her eyes widening. It's kind of nice that she'd be surprised I don't have a boyfriend. When I am in a relationship, the first thing to come out of most people's mouth is "How?"

Since Cana doesn't seem to be replying anytime soon, I take a huge gulp of wine and go into some more detail.

"I mean, I had a boyfriend kind of recently. His name was Dan. We were together for a little over two years," I say, taking another sip of wine. This story isn't my favorite to tell, and I need all the help I can get. And if the only help available is alcohol, I'll gladly take it.

Cana pours herself some more wine, already on her third glass. If I were where she is, I'd probably already be on the floor. She looks completely fine though, still listening intently to what I'm saying.

"It took me forever to agree to go out with him because of how persistent he was. It was more annoying than endearing. After a while, though, I said yes mostly to get him to shut up. Turns out he was actually just a total dork. I liked it though. He was charming despite his awkwardness. And I could tell he really liked me." I tilt the glass all the way up, downing the rest of the wine. I tilt the now empty cup to Cana and she responds by refilling it to the brim. She also tops off her glass, finishing the first bottle.

I take a few more sips of my drink and continue, "Everything was great for the first year. I don't want to say he was obsessed with me, but he was. He did everything for me and it wasn't for any other reason than he wanted to." I smile at the memory. He would always text me cute little messages, just things to tell me he thought of me. He liked to leave notes around the house and always remembered every single thing I told him about myself. At least, for the first year, he did.

My smile disappears as a new memory overtakes the happy ones.

I chug the rest of my second glass and frown when it's empty. My head is getting dizzy and it takes a second for me to figure out where Cana is exactly. My search is interrupted by Cana taking my hand and pouring more wine into my cup.

"So what happened? It sounds like everything was great. Cheesy as hell, but still nice if you're into that," Cana says filling her fifth glass of wine.

I stare at the liquid in my cup. The last year plays itself out in my head, and I start to laugh. It's really silly when I think about. Ridiculous even. I keep laughing and staring at my wine until I feel a tear slide down my cheek.

Maybe it's not _that_ funny.

I can't feel myself crying but somehow I know I am when I say, "Then he got distant. After the one-year mark, he seemed bored of me. He stopped talking to me as much, would stay out later, and whenever I talked to him it was like he was looking through me," I had to choke out that last part. My words sound muted, kind of jumbled. I can't tell if it's from the wine or the crying. Probably both.

Cana pours more wine into my cup, and I can't remember if it's my third or my fourth. I take a sip anyway.

I feel the liquid slide down my throat and there's a soothing burn that follows. I don't know if I'm still crying, but I do start laughing again.

I'm still laughing as I say, "Then, a few weeks ago, I lost my job. Terrible day really." I laugh harder, the day seeming much funnier now than it was then. "To really put the cherry on top of the cake, I walk home," I snort, cutting myself off. I didn't walk home, I took a cab. I'd be insane to walk that far. I start to laugh again, imagining myself walking that long of a distance.

I stop laughing when I realize my glass is empty again. I reach the glass out to Cana for more, but she has a funny look in her eyes. I shake my cup a little, as a way to say "please more" but she just shakes her head. I roll my eyes.

Fine. I guess I'm cut off.

She takes the glass from me and says, in a totally normal voice, "What happened when you walked home?"

Shit, I never told her I didn't walk home. Should I? Does it really add anything to the story? If I tell her I actually took a cab, maybe she'll give me more wine, because I kind of love the way I feel right now.

I try to keep my words steady, "I didn't _actually_ walk. I took a cab," I laugh at the way I worded it, "I mean, I didn't like, _steal_ a cab. You know, I like did the whistle thing and waved my hand and then ta-da, there was a cab. Then it took me home. I paid for it, I think. I'm pretty sure," I say, my last words sounding jumbled even to me.

Maybe I had one glass too many.

Cana takes me by the shoulders and looks me in the eye. She's very pretty. I never told her that, but I should.

Cana smiles, "Thank you, Lucy, I think you're pretty hot yourself." She doesn't break eye contact with me.

Hm. Guess I said that last part out loud. I giggle at myself. Silly me. Cana squeezes my shoulders.

"Ow!" I yelp my focus coming back to her.

"Lucy, what happened after you got home?"

I start laughing again, mostly at the memory. It's so dumb really.

"How is it dumb?" Cana asks, her grip never easing up.

Shit, I need to focus on when I talk and when I think. If everything would just stop _spinning_ for a few minutes, maybe I could complete a coherent thought.

I stop laughing and practically shout before I lose my nerve, "I walked in on him with someone else. She was straddling him and they were making out on the couch. He wasn't expecting me to be home, but since I got laid off, I was there early." I don't know for sure, but I think I feel another tear slide down my cheek. I laugh, a short harsh thing, "And then I yelled at him. Like, really yelled. I think I almost damaged my vocal cords because of it."

Cana pulls me into a hug. Great, now she pities me.

I accept it though, because I haven't had someone comfort me for this since it happened, and honestly, it's long overdue.

I'm still crying when I say, "The worst part is, after I yelled, he didn't even seem to hear me. It was like the whole year was pushed back into my face. He had looked through me like he did every other time I talked. I was seething, and he didn't seem to care," I try to laugh it off in a way that says, "can you believe it" but instead it comes out a choked sob.

"God," I whisper, mostly to myself, "I'm pathetic."

Cana's response is a tight squeeze. I can barely breathe now, but I don't push her away. I don't feel as drunk as I did a few minutes ago.

After a few minutes, she pulls away. I smile a little, but not out of happiness, "When I stopped talking he told me he thought we should break up. He went on this long rant about how he just wasn't feeling the whole _us_ thing anymore. I didn't say anything I just left. He had the nerve to cheat on me and then didn't even have the decency to let _me_ break up with _him._ Who does that?" I say, my voice barely audible. It was a rhetorical question, but Cana answers anyway.

"Assholes, that's who," She says, more serious than anything else she's said to me this entire time. I could tell by how she looked at me that she understood. I didn't push her on it though, knowing it can be difficult. Instead, I look around until I find another bottle.

I wipe my face with my shirt, not caring what I may look like. Cana smiles at my antics and lifts her glass towards me. I pour her some and then fill my glass. It was clear instead of red.

What I thought was wine was apparently vodka.

As this sinks in, I just shrug and lift my glass to her. I want to say thank you, to tell her I appreciate that she listened to me even though we only met a few hours ago. She clinks her glass against mine and gives me a look that says she knows. We both smile and take our first gulp. It's odd since it's in a wine glass and I'm used to just taking shots with vodka. I don't really know how much to take down, and I end up almost choking on it.

After the initial first sip though, I feel the familiar burn in my stomach. I smile at the warmth and finally ask Cana where she went on a trip to.

Cana burst out laughing, "A trip? I wasn't on a trip, I was at the bar hopping for a few days. It's easier to just pass out there than come all the way back here." She takes another swig of her drink and I smile at how unashamed she is of herself. It's not every day you meet someone with that kind of certainty.

We keep drinking and telling stories until the bottle is finished and I say I should go home. She makes a joke about not driving and to text her when she gets there safely. I laugh and stumble to the door. When I finally get into the hallway I look back and forth between the two doors a few feet away.

If only I could remember which side my apartment was on.

I take a wild guess and pick one. I take out my keys and try to fit the key into the lock. I grumble in annoyance. Why would they make this so difficult? Who can _actually_ get their key into the lock on the first try? I'm going to send a strongly worded letter to whomever it is that makes locks and keys. On my third attempt, I give up and decide that if I wiggle the knob enough, maybe it'll just open. In the midst of my wiggling the door opens. I let out a whoop of triumph and step in.

Before I can get into my apartment, I bump into something. Weird, I don't remember putting any furniture right in front of my door.

My vision focuses and I see that what I ran into wasn't furniture, but a person.

"Can I help you with something sweetheart?"

* * *

Hey this one was actually longer than I thought

So a little back story on Lucy's love life. Sorry to be cliché and use Dan as the ex but it was the easiest guy I could use.

Anyway a special chapter next time ;))))) get ready

If you enjoyed please review and tell me your thoughts!

XoxoAsh


	9. Temptation

-Natsu's POV-

The last person I expect to see when I open my door is Lucy. A very drunk, very giggly Lucy. She's staring at me but I can tell her vision isn't completely focused. She's mumbling and laughing but it's too quiet for me to hear.

I smile and ask if I can help her with something to which she responds, rather slowly, "Help me and I'll help you." She winks and pushes past me into my apartment.

I choke out a laugh. I honestly never expected to see this side of her. It's not bad, and I definitely don't hate it, it's just different. She seems lighter, less angry.

I turn to see her sprawled on my couch. Now, I'm not going to lie and say I've never pictured this happening, I just never pictured it with her half-asleep giggling at nothing. I walk over to her and she looks at me, really looks at me for the first time.

"I don't know why you're in my apartment but I can't say that I'm mad about it," She drawls, smiling in a way I haven't seen since the first night we met. I don't move, just look into her eyes. They truly are beautiful, and I don't think I've ever told her that. They're deep, warm, completely inviting, and right now they're gazing at me with a spark that catches me off guard. She scoots closer to the edge of the couch, her eyes becoming determined.

This is dangerous.

I step back and walk into the kitchen, trying to clear my thoughts. Lucy reaches for my pant leg as I walk away, but I ignore her. I know this situation. I've been in it multiple times, but usually, I'm also in the same world as Lucy. Right now she's in a land of no regrets and I'm in a normal land where there are consequences for things.

I walk towards the fridge to grab Lucy some water, trying to push the image of her lying on my couch out of my head, when I feel arms circle around my waist from behind. I freeze, trying not to show any reaction that could egg her on further. Everything in my body is screaming at me to just go with it, to give in to temptation.

I almost do, almost down a bottle of scotch just to make it feel fair, but then Lucy says something that makes all those feelings fade.

"It could just be for fun you know. Nothing serious. I know you don't like serious." Her arms run up torso and back down, but I don't feel it. I don't feel her. I just feel the words she said and know that even though she's drunk and not completely herself, those few words rang true.

She's right too. I don't like serious, but I do like Lucy. I would never, could never treat Lucy the way I treat other girls. She's not them, even though she sounds like them at this moment.

I gently grab her arms and unwrap them from around me. I turn to face her, resting one hand on her cheek and the other around her waist. She thinks her words hit the mark and she closes her eyes, her beautiful deep eyes, and leans forward. I do the same, but our lips never touch. Instead, my mouth finds her forehead and she sighs when the contact is made. I take her sigh as satisfaction and start to pull away, but she grabs my hand. I dare to look into her eyes and there's still that spark of something that makes my heart stop.

"Natsu," She practically purrs, "It's rude to come to someone's home and not even stay long enough to have a drink." She tugs on my arm but I resist.

I sigh, starting to lose patience with both Lucy and my sanity. "Lucy, this is my apartment. You should probably be heading back to yours." The news seems to throw her off. She really believed I was somehow in her apartment. She recovers quickly though, tugging on my arm a little harder. When I don't budge she takes a step to me and places my hand low on her back.

"In that case, it's rude to have someone over and not _offer_ a drink." Lucy is practically humming, her hand slowly pushing mine lower, lower, lower.

My breath hitches when she leans in and lightly kisses the spot where my neck meets my shoulder. She moves to place another kiss when I jump back about a foot away from her.

"Lucy we can't do that. It's not right. You don't want this." I try to reason with her, but it doesn't get through.

She just walks to me, painfully slow, then places her hands against my chest and _pushes_ me against the fridge. She lifts her hand to my face and outlines my mouth with her thumb. "Oh but Natsu, I really do want this." Her thumb continues its path along my mouth as she leans in and whispers in my ear, "I want you."

I shiver as her lips wrap around my earlobe and sucks.

Heat courses through me, the pleasure making its way to every part of my body. She somehow moves even closer to me and her mouth covers mine. I sink into the kiss, and when her tongue stroked my lips, I welcome the taste of her.

But the taste isn't her; It's alcohol.

Every stroke of her tongues every move of her lips reminds me of how we got here. It's not because she realized she wanted it one night, it's because she's drunk and happened to find me.

The heat runs cold, my body almost shutting down completely. She doesn't notice, her mouth still devouring mine, but I pull back. I look down, scared that if I see her eyes I won't care about how we got here.

"Lucy, you're drunk. You'll regret this in the morning. Please, just, stop." My eyes stay down as she moves away from me. She's walking back to the couch, which surprises me because I thought she'd go to the door. I walk up behind her and hear the worst thing imaginable.

She's crying.

Sobbing actually, her body shaking, harsh breaths choking out of her. Her head is cradled in her hands her torso hunched over.

I can handle giggly drunks. I can handle aggressive drunks. I can barely handle horny drunks.

I cannot, for the life of me, handle sad drunks. Especially when they were horny just a minute before. I move around the couch and sit beside her, a few inches away, and start rubbing her back. She flinches from my touch and I can't deny the sting I feel in my heart.

"Lucy, why are you crying?" I ask softly as if I'm talking to a spooked animal. She rubs her hands down her face and turns toward me completely. Her eyes aren't necessarily sad, but there is no sign of the spark they had when she walked through my door. She takes a deep breath and her eyes harden.

"You sleep with every girl you see. You don't have a type, as long as it has boobs and a vagina, that's good enough for you." She laughs a cruel harsh thing. "Then I come onto you and _you_ push _me_ away. What makes me the only thing you don't want?" She asks, turning her gaze toward the floor.

I can't tell her she's wrong, that it's the complete opposite of that. That the only reason I sleep around is much more about my own problems than actual wanting towards the girls. I can't tell her that for the first time in a long time, she is probably the only personI truly want. I can't tell her because this isn't Lucy. This is a Lucy that'll probably forget this ever happened, or worse regret everything she did. Not because it was a drunk silly mistake, but because she made the mistake with me of all people.

She puts her face in her hands once again and whispers so quietly I almost miss it, "Why is this happening all over again." She starts crying again and I'm completely still, not sure what to do.

My heart contracts at that. I've never seen her so sad, so utterly vulnerable. It's usually glaring and smart remarks, a light in her eyes that makes me never want to stop looking at her.

I know nothing I say will help, so in my loss for words I scoot towards her as calmly as possible and wrap an arm around her. She stills at the contact but eventually leans into me. I draw small circles on her arm as soothingly as I can manage. I let her cry, let whatever sadness she's dealing with pour out. I can't tell if it's working but eventually, she calms down enough to the point where instead of sniffles I hear heavy breathing.

I let us stay like that a while, her leaning against me asleep, me rubbing small circles on her arm. I look at the time and it's only about 3 in the afternoon. I should probably actually do something today so I scoot away from Lucy and gently lay her on the couch. She doesn't stir, and I grab a blanket to place on top of her. After putting the blanket on her, I place a kiss on her cheek and get my keys to leave.

Before leaving I look back at this beautiful girl lying on my couch, knocked out at 3 pm from drinking too much, and smile. This girl came into my life, and I can say with total confidence that I've never had so much fun with someone. Our little encounters, our continuous banter, the unspoken attraction we both pretend isn't there. I shake my head as I remember what she said as she was crying and whisper, to no one but myself, "You're my type."

I leave my apartment with drunk Lucy still sleeping, looking forward to what's in store for me when she wakes up.

* * *

Hey a new POV. Thought it'd be fun to see the tables turned and hear from Natsu and see Lucy as the total horndog.

Let me know if you liked the switch in POVs or if you'd rather just hear from Lucy cause this sucked.

Follow, fav, review if you liked.

Thanks for reading!

XoxoAsh


	10. Surprise

I am never drinking again. My head is pounding, my eyes won't focus, and I have no idea where I am. After finally managing to sit up and concentrate on something without any problems, I take in my surroundings fully. Upon first glance, the place looks like my apartment: same layout, same cabinets, even a similar couch. But there is something noticeably off about everything I see. The furniture is in the wrong position; the colors are all wrong, and most apparent, it's way too neat to be my place. I'm not messy, but people can still tell that I actually live in my apartment. This mysterious world looks as if it's a TV set or was just made to look like this to show to possible buyers.

Also, I know for a fact that I don't own a cat. And if I did, I certainly wouldn't dye it blue.

I am staring at said cat, who decided to perch itself on the coffee table in front of me, hoping that it will somehow give me the answers I need — such answers as to where I am, whose apartment is this, and why in Mavis name is it so unnaturally neat. To my disappointment, the cat doesn't seem to understand my stare and instead leaps off the coffee table and heads to the kitchen. Instead of leaving, as a reasonable person would, I try to follow the cat. I find, rather quickly, that standing is a much harder task than I last remember it being. I have to stumble to the wall for support and slowly make my way to where the cat now rests by what I'm assuming is his food bowl.

I feel bad that I don't have anything to give him, but then remember that this isn't my apartment or my cat and therefore not my responsibility. I can't help but feel sorry for the little guy though and bend down to pet it. I reach my hand out as an offering, not entirely sure the proper etiquette for petting felines, and stroke the cat when I think its okay. I'm relieved when he starts purring because I know that that means he won't attack me any time soon. As I'm petting the blue animal, I look around to try and find anything that may give me a hint as to who's apartment I'm in. You'd think it'd be easy, that there'd be pictures or notes or literally anything that hints at a human being living here. There's nothing though, other than some furniture and an empty frame hanging on the wall. There's not even curtains or a rug, making the room almost as empty as Cana's. I almost conclude that this cat owns the place. During my search, my eyes land on the clock.

It's 9:00 at night.

I can't believe I've been out this long. The last time I looked at a clock, it was 10 in the morning. How did I waste my whole day and barely remember most of it? Instead of continuing my hunt for where I am, I move to leave. The sudden thought occurs to me that I was kidnapped and the door is locked. Honestly, that would be more annoying than anything. I don't really have time to deal with some psycho and his eccentric taste in the color of animals.

My annoyance deepens when I find that the door is in fact, locked. This is when the panic sets in. I was only joking to myself about the whole kidnapping ordeal, but if that's actually the case, then I'm genuinely screwed. I could bang on the door; obviously, I'm still in the same apartment building, meaning that someone is bound to hear me. But what if my kidnapper walks in as I start knocking on the door. What if my kidnapper is truly insane?

I mean they have a blue cat for Mavis sake!

The more I look around, the more I'm determined what my situation is. No pictures, no decorations, no sign of someone using this place for living. What else would someone do with an apartment if not live in it? I look, going into the bedroom and the bathroom, hoping for anything that proves me wrong. But every room has the same drab feeling to it. I open the drawers and find male clothing, so I assume that my kidnapper is a male. That prospect alone seems to put me even more on edge. I go back into the living room and pick up the cat. Maybe if I hold is cat hostage he won't hurt me right away. Perhaps I can negotiate my freedom with his cat's freedom.

It's ridiculous, but it's something.

Sitting on the couch, petting the cat of my kidnapper, I try to think of what transpired throughout the day. I remember drinking with Cana, confessing some things I hadn't yet spoken to anyone, and then leaving. Or, at least, I think I left. I would have wanted to go to my apartment, so the only question is, what happened between Cana's home and mine?

I hear laughing outside the door and stand up ready to fight. The door opens, and before I can properly see who enters, I throw the cat at the newcomer. There's a deep grunt as the cat lands on the person's face and a surprised laugh from behind the scene. Is there two of them?

I see hands reach up to try and pry the cat off, but the blue feline is too shocked from being flung like a ragdoll to retract its claws. I freeze in place, not sure how to proceed since two people are blocking my exit. I probably should have thought of a plan sooner and more thoroughly. Eventually, another set of hand reaches from behind the first person to help with the cat situation. With four hands now in the mix, the cat finally comes free, and I see the face of my kidnapper.

I immediately feel guilt like a hand reaching through my stomach and up my throat.

Natsu stares back at me, bewilderment peaking through the fresh scratches now lining his face. Behind him is a woman with hair as white a snow that falls to her waist. She's one of the most beautiful women I've ever seen, and the idea that I've interrupted something that was about to take place suddenly sets in. I hope the embarrassment isn't evident on my face, but I try my best to make the situation less tense than it already is.

"Welcome home." I smile like it's normal for me to be standing in Natsu's apartment pelting cats at him. Natsu doesn't smile back. He just looks at me, the tension in room multiplying with each passing second. I want to say more, but I don't really know how to explain why I just threw a cat at him in his own apartment. He doesn't say anything because I think he's equally as shocked.

So, as we stare at each other in silence, the beautiful girl moves from behind Natsu and starts to walk deeper into the apartment. She stops and turns to Natsu, lifting some bags she was holding up so he can see them. " I'll just put these in your room." She turns to me and as she passes whispers, "Nice throw." She smiles and keeps moving as if nothing was said.

I'm even more in shock as Natsu starts the conversation I'd rather ignore. "Care to explain why you flung my cat at me?" He inclines his head toward the blue fellow now hiding under the couch, and I smile sheepishly.

"In my defense, I thought you were my kidnapper." I raise my hands in an 'I surrender' way as if that explains everything.

Apparently, it explains nothing since he asks, "Why would you think that?"

"Well, you have basically no decorations or pictures."

"What does that have to do with anything?"

"You also have a blue cat."

"Again, what does that have to do with anything?"

"Listen," I try to reason, "I woke up in an almost bare apartment with no memory of what happened, the door was locked, and the only thing here was a cat the color of a primary color. You'd think you were kidnapped if you were in the same situation," I say almost condescendingly as if I'm obviously in the right here. Natsu doesn't respond but stands in the doorway as if taking in my words. He finally shakes his head and sighs as loudly as a disappointed father that found his daughter drinking underage.

I'm about to apologize, but before I can, Natsu raises a hand as if he already knows what I'm about to say. He looks at me, seeming tired, and calmly asks, "Look, don't worry about it, but could you please leave now?"

I feel my body deflate with disappointment in the conversation and myself as I make my way out of his apartment. Before he closes the door on me, I quickly mutter, "I'm sorry for basically attacking you and sorry if I," I nod toward where his room is, "interrupted anything."

Natsu's eyes widen, "What? You mean with Mira? No. That's not... why would you-" He pauses, and at that moment, I see his face grow terribly sad.

In the time that I've known Natsu, I've seen him go through many emotions. Happy, flirty, arrogant, relieved, shocked, and sometimes even disappointed. However, I've never seen sadness as real as what he's expressing now. I've seen him jokingly sad, like when I say something mean, and he pretends to be hurt. But what's in his eyes now is a genuine pang of despair that I don't know he had in him. And I can't help but feel as if I'm the reason behind it.

He just shakes his head, and with that sadness still looming in his eyes murmurs, "You didn't interrupt anything. I'll see you later." He closes the door, leaving me standing in the hallway feeling guilty without understanding why.

* * *

Yo happy new years my dudes.

Hope you enjoyed this chapter, I had fun writing a paranoid Lucy.

Anyway, sorry for the wait, but please follow, fav, and review if you liked it!

Thanks for reading :)

XoxoAsh


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